A Different Kind
by cityofbones1234
Summary: A girl suddenly finds herself thrown into a strange life of anger and runs away, to the wilderness, where she finds a world she never dreamed of. Some romance later on, as well as a major conflict. Rated T for possible language. I DO NOT OWN THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS. I ONLY WISH I DID.
1. Chapter I

_Shadows moved behind the curtain. They mesmerized Rit, weaving in and out in a circular, ever-changing pattern. Rit couldn't look away, couldn't move, couldn't blink. Her mind was caught in a strange web, like a fly snared in a spider's sticky silk trap. Suddenly, the curtain lit up as the shadows exploded behind it, and a shockwave spread out from the eruption, catching Rit in its grasp and throwing her backward. Everything was travelling in slow motion, and then a flash of light burned a simple design on Rit's retinas, almost obscuring her field of vision. She hit the ground._

Rit sat up in bed, gasping. She blinked a few times, then frowned, shaking her head. The design was still visible when she closed her eyes. _What an odd dream_, she thought, pushing tendrils of tangled hair out of her face. Rit swung her legs over the edge of the bed and glanced at the clock. It read 7:06 am, blinking green. Just in time, then.

Abruptly, Rit's field of vision went entirely red. Blood rushed to her face and pounded in her ears. She was filled with the most potent rage she'd ever felt, at nothing in particular. The clock happened to be in her way, so she yanked its cord, unplugging it, then threw it at the wall, where the screen shattered in an ear-splitting crash.

Just as quickly as it had come, the anger left her. Rit leaned against the wall, dizzy. _What just happened?_ She asked herself.

"Rit, Rit are you all right in there?" her mother's voice floated through the door. "What happened?"

"The alarm clock fell, Mom. I'm fine."

There was a pause. "Well, all right…" It sounded as if Lily was walking away from Rit's door, back to the dining room.

Rit drew a deep breath. She needed to calm down. A shower would help, wouldn't it? Yes, a shower would help.

The hot water helped focus Rit's mind. As she massaged the citrus shampoo into her long, dark brown hair, she thought about her dream. As an experiment, Rit closed her eyes. The symbol was still there, as clearly defined as when she had first seen it. She would have to remember to check later.

Rit entered the kitchen, dressed in a loose red tank top and faded jeans. As she poured herself a bowl of granola, Lily entered. "Oh, Rit, I do wish you'd wear something other than jeans," she complained. "And can't you do something more interesting with your hair, honey?"

Rit sighed. "Mom, jeans are comfortable. I'm not going anywhere today. And my hair is fine as it is."

"But, honey, braids and plaits are so – so – boring. You'll never get a boy looking like that."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Mom." Rit grabbed her bowl and walked into the living room, where she stretched out on the couch. Her book was not where she had left it, neatly bookmarked on the corner of the coffee table.

"Mom! Did you move my book?" Rit yelled, not wanting to get up from the couch.

Lily came in, holding her hand over the receiver of the telephone. "What's that, sweetie?"

"My book was sitting right there last night when I went to bed. Did you move it?" Rit repeated.

Lily spoke into the phone. "Yes, sir. Could you please hold on one minute? Thank you." She covered it again. "No, Rit, I don't move your books. I've learned."

Rit twisted and set her bowl down on the coffee table, out of the reach of the dogs. She slowly pulled herself up and made her way into her room.

As she passed the vase on the counter by the oven, the anger came over her again. Rit felt a sudden urge to smash the vase, an overwhelming urge. The next thing she knew, the beautiful vase with its drooping rose was smashed into a billion pieces on the kitchen floor.

"Rit?" Lily ran into the kitchen. She stared at the vase on the floor. "Rit, what are you doing?"

Rit's vision went black as the world swirled into nothingness.

* * *

Faces blurred and came into focus above Rit's head, outlined against a bright white surface. "Rit," they were saying. "Rit, can you hear me?"

Rit tried to raise her head, but hands gently pushed her forehead back down. "Stay down, there's a good girl, now," the voices soothed. Rit seethed inside. She hated when adults treated kids like dogs. _Sit, Scout, yes, down, no, down, Scout, there's a good boy, here's a treat, yes, good boy, you're such a good boy!_ It drove her absolutely crazy.

Rit tensed as she remembered blacking out and falling. She remembered the all-consuming anger she'd felt. What had caused it? What if it came back?

Rit felt a slight pinch in her left forearm, and her vision faded into static fuzziness again.

* * *

Rit blinked sleep out of her eyes. Now she saw that she was in a hospital bed, with an IV dripping into her arm and all sorts of monitors and machines. A young-looking nurse in a white uniform hurried over. "Good morning, sunshine," she said. Rit rolled her eyes. Another one. The nurse checked a clipboard at the side of the bed. "Looks like we're going to get you out of here today!" she exclaimed brightly. "Isn't that great?"

Rit raised an eyebrow, staring at her. The nurse, oblivious, kept bustling around, straightening blankets and such. "Where's my mom?" Rit asked.

The nurse turned around, as if she was surprised that Rit could talk. She stared blankly for a moment, then remembered. "Oh, yes, she had to go to work. She'll be back later." She smiled brightly again, then rushed out of the white, bare room, closing the door behind her.

Rit sighed. She felt filthy, like her hair hadn't been washed in a week. Why was she even in the hospital? Apparently nobody thought it worthwhile to explain to the patient why she were a patient. She pressed on the button in easy reach by her head. Supposedly, that would bring a nurse.

Sure enough, a nurse appeared, as if she had been summoned by a genie. This one looked more reasonable. She had a nametag reading KENSIE and kind, dark eyes. She came over to the side of the bed.

"How can I help you?" Kensie asked politely.

Rit explained that her mother was at work, she didn't remember anything, and she didn't even know why she was there. Kensie listened attentively, not interrupting.

When the girl was done, Kensie clarified. "You fell down on the broken vase, and one piece cut your head pretty badly." Rit's hand drifted to her forehead, where she was aware of a slight ache. "Then you didn't wake up for four days, and nobody knew why, so they kept you here. Now you're awake, so you can go home."

Rit asked the one question that she had. "Will I have a scar?"

Kensie looked sad. She put a soft hand on Rit's shoulder. "Yes," she said. "You will, running from your left temple to the middle of your hairline."

Rit didn't understand why Kensie looked so forlorn. "Whatever," she said, brushing it off. She didn't care, really. It made her unique.

Suddenly, a look of horror came over Kensie's face. "Excuse me," she said in a rush, "But do you know your father?"

The question seemed a bit odd to Rit, but she didn't see the harm in answering. "No. He died in Afghanistan."

Kensie hurriedly stood up, backing toward the door. "I'll be back," she said. "Just stay here."

As she left and shut the door, Rit called after her. "I can't really go anywhere, you know. You do have security."

_Now what?_ thought Rit.

* * *

**Sorry, this is my first fanfic, and probably nobody will read it. If you do, please review to let me know you're there! Thanks!**


	2. Chapter II

Kensie was not alone the next time she entered the room. There was a strange man along with her. He was tall, with spiky, gelled hair, a purple overcoat, blue t-shirt, and black jeans. There was lots of glitter all over him. There was an aura about him, like he could spontaneously combust at any moment.

Kensie spoke. "Magnus, this is Rit LaCroix. Rit, this is Magnus Bane."

Rit stared curiously at Magnus, who returned the favor. There was something strange about his eyes. Their yellow-green color was a bit too intense. Rit concentrated, then blinked in surprise. His eyes had vertical pupils, like a cat's.

"You have cat eyes," she commented.

Magnus raised his eyebrows. "Yes, I suppose I do." His voice was deep and pleasant. "You don't," he said.

"Sorry?" Rit said.

"What are you sorry for?" he demanded. "You didn't do anything."

Rit blushed. He was talking in circles. "Why are you here?"

Magnus rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. "Kensie called me in. She thinks you're special."

Rit rolled her eyes. Why did adults always think that children couldn't handle the full truth? _She thinks you're special_.

Kensie stepped forward. "We think you might be – "

Magnus cut her off with a wave of his hand. "Not here, Kensie. Not now."

Kensie swallowed. "Of course."

Magnus looked at Rit. "You must promise me that you won't tell anyone I was here. Promise," he said. The girl found that she couldn't look away from his eyes. She couldn't even blink.

"I promise," she said, and her gaze was released. She blinked, clearing stars from her vision. What had just happened?

* * *

Rit woke to Lily standing over her. "Rit, oh, I'm so glad you're awake! Let's go home now, honey."

Rit was starting to say that she'd been awake all day when her vision clouded over with red. _Not again,_ she thought before the anger took over her mind.

When Rit became conscious again, her head throbbed in unison with her arm. She looked down and saw a red mark where the IV had been. _What happened?_ she thought. _Where am I?_

Rit looked around. There were trees, and the light slanting through them suggested that it would be nightfall soon. She realized that she was still wearing an open-backed hospital gown, and blushed, even thought she was far away from any other human. She shivered in the cooling evening air. _Oh, great. I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere and I don't even have any clothes. How am I supposed to eat, or make a fire? That's what book characters always do._

Turning slowly in a circle, Rit saw a shadow of a path leading off to her right. Grateful for any kind of sign of civilization, Rit followed it, branches and twigs scraping her bare legs and feet.

After about a quarter mile, Rit saw a small clearing with a tiny lean-to on one side. "Hello?" she called. Nobody answered. "Is anyone here?" No response.

Cautiously, Rit approached the lean-to. She could stoop to fit in, where she found a stack of sticks and a bag of oats, but no people or animals, or even a flashlight or a lighter, which she could have used. There was one small bag hidden under the lowest part, which contained a ragged, loose sweatshirt and a pair of worn jeans with holes in them. Rit thanked whatever God there was and put them on, feeling more confident.

Despair washed over Rit, and she cried, thinking that she might have hurt her mother or a nurse or another patient. She had no recollection of her flight from the hospital. It was probably better this way, because she couldn't hurt anyone but herself. She should stay isolated until whatever this was passed.

Night fell as Rit's eyes strained to make out any kind of shape in the darkness. There were only squirrels and the occasional rabbit. Tears leaked out of her eyes. What was she supposed to do now?

* * *

Birds chirping woke Rit from a restless sleep. She remembered the previous day. How could she ever make a life in this wilderness?

Well, to start, she could have breakfast. Her stomach was grumbling like it never had before. She grabbed the bag of oatmeal, carefully opened it, and had a handful of raw oats. She had to ration what she had, or she wouldn't last long.

Rit crawled out of the lean-to and was surprised to see a herd of deer, frozen in the clearing. They stared at her as she stared at them, equally still. After a few minutes, Rit took a step forward. She couldn't just keep standing there all day. The deer turned, silent as anything, and bounded away into the woods, leaping over dead trees and fallen branches gracefully.

First things first. Rit started collecting branches to fortify her shelter. She leaned them up against the outside, then collected fallen branches and stacked them on top, hoping to make it at least semi-waterproof. This was just in time, as it started to drizzle. Rit crawled back inside the lean-to, and was soon disappointed. Water dripped steadily through the stacked wood, soaking her hair and clothes. She tried to protect the oatmeal with her body, but there was only so much she could do.

Finally, Rit grew so frustrated with the rain that she crawled out of the lean-to, yelling insults at the sky. A strange vibration started at the base of her sternum as she continued to rant, growing upward and outward, and eventually encompassing her whole body. Rit looked at the forlorn, inadequate shelter and pointed with her right pointer finger and pinkie. An explosion of blue sparks erupted from her fingertips, coating the lean-to, and Rit fell unconscious as the downpour continued.


	3. Chapter III

**Chairman Meow POV**

As I strolled through the tall-wood-leaf-towers, I smelled something that reminded me of my two-legger, the tall one with the straight-spike hair. It was the blue-sparks. Curious, I followed the smell, my paws padding lightly on the wet-dead-leaf-dirt. My nose led me to a space-without-tall-wood-leaf-towers, where there were small-woods leaning against a tall-wood-leaf-tower. Nearby there was a two-legger lying on the wet-dead-leaf-dirt. Its head-fur was long, brown, and tangled, like my favorite wind-around of string.

I love that wind-around of string.

Naturally, I approached the two-legger. The blue-sparks-smell seemed to be coming from it. Occasionally, a blue spark would float up from its body and snap out of existence. I pawed at one, then leapt at it, but I couldn't catch it. Instead, I landed on top of the two-legger. It shrieked, and I hissed because a two-legger shriek is not a very pleasant sound. The two-legger scrambled to its feet, and blue sparks crackled and popped all around it. It seemed startled, staring at the sparks in wonder.

It made some sort of air-mouth-vibration-shapes, which I can't understand, but I understood the meaning. It didn't know what it was.

I sat down on the wet-dead-leaf-dirt and started licking my right paw. Even if the two-legger hadn't understood, it could have been a little bet more courteous to one such as myself.

* * *

**Magnus POV**

I sighed exasperatedly, running a hand through my hair. Where was Chairman Meow? His third birthday party was tonight, and he had gone missing. Again. Maybe he was allergic to birthday parties.

The doorbell rang. It was Maureen.

Well, that was a shock. I certainly hadn't expected the new vampire leader to show up. I leaned against the doorway, narrowing my eyes. "Hello, Maureen."

She giggled. Such a young girl. Such an unfortunate fate. "Hello, Magnus. Am I the first guest to arrive?"

I shook my head in fake sadness. "Oh, such a pity, but Chairman Meow has gone missing again. We're going to have to cancel the party. I'll make sure to call you when he's back."

She looked confused. "Who's Chairman Meow? I thought I was coming here for a birthday party."

"Chairman Meow," I informed her, "Is my cat. And yes. It is his birthday. And his party. So, since he isn't here, we can't have a party. Clear?"

She looked hurt. "You don't want me here?"

How was I supposed to handle this? "No, that's not it. My cat, the one whose party this is, is not here, therefore we can't have the party. Another time, I promise," I said, and shut the door gently in her face. I leaned against it, rubbing my eyes. I didn't want to alienate her – no, not after what happened with Camille. This would be tricky.

* * *

**Omnipotent POV**

Rit woke up to the sound of a cat's hiss and a cat's body landing on her. She shrieked, startled, and jumped to her feet. The cat was pretty small, with a grey and white body, greenish yellow eyes, and . . . blue sparks floating in front of it?

Rit looked around herself in amazement. The blue sparks were coming from her. She remembered pointing at the lean-to and falling over. She had to ask out loud, just in case the cat answered. "What am I?"

The cat harrumphed, sat down, and started licking one paw. The message was clear – the cat was obviously trying to ignore her. She laughed, enjoying the tickling feeling of the blue sparks.

She glanced at the lean-to. What had been wood was now, apparently, metal. It looked as if someone had carved a lean-to out of dark grey metal and placed it so as to look natural. After another moment of examining the shelter, Rit looked at the tree behind it and gasped. The tree had been turned to metal as well. It maintained the same designs and texture on its bark and leaves, but it was no longer wood.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Rit turned around to look for the cat, but it was wandering out of the clearing, into the middle of the woods. "Hey, wait!" she called, jogging to catch up. "Take me with you."

**A/N**

**THANK YOU to everyone who's read, favorited, followed or reviewed! This is my first fanfiction, and I really need the support!**

**Special thanks to :vengefulrose, the first reviewer and second follower and favoriter (that was not really correct grammar - sorry), and I Suffer From Hubris, the first favoriter and follower. You really helped me keep going!**


	4. Chapter IV

Rit followed the little cat through thick underbrush and tangled branches for a long time. The sky had darkened again by the time they came to the edge of the city. What city, Rit had no idea, until she saw the bright lights of downtown. This had to be Brooklyn.

How far had she come, from the hospital? How had she found a forest in this area? How far had she come from their little house by Fort Totten Park? From the girl she had been a week before?

Sparks were still occasionally drifting up from the skin exposed by the ripped jeans and worn sweatshirt she wore. She was aware that her hair was a mess, half pulled out of its braid, dirty, and caught through with twigs and sticks. However, she was in a half-aware state, following the little cat through the dark allies and streets of Brooklyn.

As the street lamps came on, illuminating small patches of broken sidewalks and asphalt, the cat stopped in front of the door of an apartment building. A tall, thin man in low-slung jeans and a worn-out t-shirt yanked open the door. "Chairman Meow, I was expecting you to be on time to your own birthday party, at least-" He cut himself off and stared at Rit. "You. What are you doing here? And what in the world are you wearing?"

* * *

Rit sat uncomfortably on the edge of the blue velvet couch in Magnus' living room, holding a plastic, waxy cup of tea in her hand. He had seemingly conjured it up from nowhere, and it was steaming hot. She had seen the blue sparks, the same color as the ones that were still drifting off her skin once a minute or so.

The cat, or Chairman Meow, as Magnus called him, was curled up on Magnus' lap, purring contentedly as Magnus occasionally stroked him with a lazy hand. Magnus' yellow-green cat eyes were fixed on Rit's face and clothes, scrutinizing her. Finally, Rit broke the silence.

"Before, in the hospital, you were going to tell me something, something about what I am. What am I?"

Magnus set down his cup of tea. He crossed his legs, resting his right elbow on his knee and his chin on his hand. "You're not human."

Rit thought about this, rolling it over and over in her mind, then decided. "You're right. I'm not."

Magnus looked startled. "You seem to have expected this."

The girl shook her head. "No, but it seems to be the most logical explanation for what I did."

"And what is it that you did, Rit, is it?" Rit nodded. "What did you do?"

Rit took a sip of tea. "I turned a tree to metal."

Magnus froze, staring at her. "You did what?"

Now Rit was unsure of herself. "I turned a tree to metal . . .?"

Magnus stood up, unceremoniously dumping the protesting Chairman on the floor. "That's impossible," he muttered to himself.

Rit stood, too, setting her empty cup on the coffee table. "Clearly, it isn't."

"But in theory, a warlock can't even use his or her powers without being trained for months," Magnus explained patiently. "And you haven't been trained."

Rit held up a hand. "Slow down, just for a second," she said. "What the hell are you talking about? What in heaven is a warlock?"

Magnus gave a little half-laugh. "A warlock is not a creature of heaven. A warlock is the offspring of a demon and a human."

Rit narrowed her eyes. "My mom was human, I will swear to that. She could never have been a demon."

Magnus nodded. "That's why Kensie asked if you had known your father."

The girl swayed on her feet. "You think my father was a demon. You think I'm not human. You think I'm a warlock." She nodded. "Go on."

The elder warlock had never seen a person who had thought she was a mundane accept their true character so easily. "I can teach you to use the magic, if you want," he offered, mostly wanting to keep her out of trouble.

Rit's eyes lit up. "So that's what the blue sparks are?" Magnus nodded. "I thought so."

Magnus turned away, looking out the window. He didn't want to be harnessed with an untrained warlock, especially not one with such strong powers.

Rit saw what he was thinking from his posture. "You don't want to teach me, though. You don't have to, if it would be too much trouble. I can go, find somewhere to stay-"

"No," Magnus interrupted. "No, you would be a danger to everyone if you went off on your own. I'll teach you. But first, you need to understand something about our kind." He sat back down on his couch. "We are immortal- that is, we will live forever if we are not killed. We will not succumb to illness or disease, nor will we suffer any ailments of the flesh that come with age. You will look something from sixteen to twenty five forever. We do not bear children. We cannot-" Magnus broke off as Rit fell to the floor of the apartment. "What, did I scare you?"

Rit's eyes were distant. "Live forever. . . " she mumbled. "Forever is a long time."

"Yes," murmured Magnus as Rit drifted off to sleep. A single tear ran down his face from the corner of his eye. "A very long time indeed."

**A/N**

**So what do you think? I know I don't have many readers, but those that do read thes, please respond! I need the support to keep writing!**


	5. Chapter V

Sebastian approached the old apartment building. Magnus Bane had called him to meet someone, though he didn't know why. His black jacket flapped in the cool fall winds as leaves blew chaotically down the street.

The intercom buzzed to live as Sebastian hit the button situated by the door. "Who is it?" Magnus sounded tired and exasperated.

"Sebastian."

"Oh, yes, good. Come on up." The door unlocked, and Sebastian entered the ancient building.

On the third floor, one door was painted bright red with glitter around the edges. Sebastian knocked loudly. Magnus yanked open the door, dressed in jeans and a simple shirt. His hair still looked as spiky as ever.

"Come in, come in. Have some tea." Magnus tugged Sebastian over to the couch where he had sat with Rit.

"Why am I here?" Sebastian asked abruptly.

Magnus looked taken aback. "I presume it's because you got my message, your brain told your feet to move, and then I let you in the building?"

Sebastian just looked at him.

"Fine. You're here to meet a warlock. And I do wish you'd stop using that poor dead boy's name-"

"Stop." Sebastian's voice was quiet, but Magnus saw the pain in his eyes. "That's not who I am."

They sat in cold silence for a while, until Rit knocked on the door leading into the living room. "May I come in?" Her voice was muffled by the thick wooden door. There was no response. "Magnus?" She knocked again.

Magnus levered himself up from the couch and walked reluctantly over to the door. He looked back at Sebastian before turning the knob and admitting the girl.

Rit stared in shock at Sebastian. She had thought that Magnus was alone. Instead, there was a strange boy, about her age, sitting motionless on the edge of the couch. His pale hair contrasted strangely with his fair skin and completely black eyes, which were filled with strange emotions and feelings. His jaw was sharp, his shoulders, covered by a black leather jacket, were thin, and he was . . . staring right at her.

Sebastian examined the girl. Long, wavy brown hair pulled back in a French braid, hazel eyes, a recent-looking scar across her forehead, black long-sleeved shirt, black jeans, combat boots. She must be wearing Izzy's clothes. He didn't see any obvious warlock's mark on her.

"Where's your warlock's mark?" he demanded. "You are a warlock, yes?"

Rit folded her arms. "I barely even know what a warlock is. Who the hell are you?"

Magnus stepped between them. "First, Rit, a warlock's mark is something inherited from the demon parent that distinguishes us from the mundanes. Mine is my eyes." He hesitated. "Is there anything that marks you as different from your mother, or perhaps a normal human?"

Rit nodded slowly. "My ears . . ." she said.

"What about them?"

"They're pointed at the tips." Rit brushed back her hair to show them.

"And nobody even noticed?" Magnus asked incredulously.

The girl shrugged. "My mom thought it was a birth defect."

Sebastian muttered something about mundanes not knowing what they were seeing.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Sebastian . . . what do you want your last name to be?"

"Morgenstern is fine," Sebastian said. "After all, I'm not really Sebastian Verlac, am I?" His voice positively dripped with sarcasm.

Magnus shook his head. "You know that's not what I meant, Sebastian, I just meant-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know what you meant. Get on with it."

Magnus looked slightly hurt. "Sebastian, this is Rit LaCroix. Rit, Sebastian Morgenstern."

Rit put her hand out. "Nice to meet you." Sebastian shook it. Her grip was strong and firm. "Now what are you?"

"Sorry?" Sebastian was vaguely confused. "What do you mean?"

Rit looked exasperated. "I _mean_, what _are_ you? A warlock, a mundane, a demon, what?"

Sebastian looked resigned. "I am a Shadowhunter, but not just that. I have demon blood in me."

"What's a Shadowhunter?"

Magnus stepped in. "Never mind, Rit, I'll explain later."

Rit threw up her hands in frustration. "Why does everyone say they'll explain later? What if there isn't a later?" Blue sparks started flying, snapping and popping around the room.

Magnus winced. _We're going to have to work on that_, he thought. "Rit, Rit, just calm down, okay? You need to calm down."

"I need to calm down? How am I supposed to calm down? I don't know where I am, why I'm here, I barely know _what_ in the world I am, and I'm supposed to _CALM DOWN_?"

Sparks flew faster, and the tickling sensation grew in Rit's chest until once again it exploded out of her body. Her vision filled with bright blue as the magic flowed out of her fingertips, directly into the couch.

page break

When she could see again, Rit blinked in surprise. Where there had been a couch, there was now a large, fluffy, white dog. It wagged its tail and barked.

Magnus and Sebastian were staring wide-eyed at the couch-dog. "How did you do that, Rit?"

Rit swallowed nervously. "I – I don't know." She didn't know how Magnus would react to having his velvet couch transformed into a dog. Absentmindedly, she scratched behind the dog's ears.

"Rit, you shouldn't be able to do that." Magnus sounded unsure. "You shouldn't be able to do anything like that. I could do that, if I tried, but it would completely drain me . . ."

Snapping out of his trance, Magnus saw that Rit was scared. "Why do you look that way? You look as if you're about to run away."

Rit glanced up. "You're not mad, then?" she almost whispered. "But – but – I turned your couch into a dog!"

The absurdity of the situation hit her then. She laughed, the sound bubbling up out of her chest. It felt good to laugh. Pretty soon, Magnus and Sebastian were doubled over, laughing until tears ran down their faces. Then there was a knock on the door.

A man, probably about nineteen years old, stared at them in shock. "What is going on here?"

**A/N**

**I hope that you like it so far? Who just walked in? What will happen with the dog? Review, please!**

**This might be the last update before the middle of July because I'm going to camp, and there are no electronics there . . . but I will keep writing so that I can post it all when I get back!**


	6. Chapter VI

**_A/N _****Hey, guys! Sorry it's been like a month…. I just got back from a four-week long camp in Traverse City. I'll try to make up for it this week and next week. Please keep reading!**

Magnus straightened immediately, brushing off his ratty t-shirt and running a hand through his hand. "Alec," he said. "I wasn't expecting you this early."

The man raised an eyebrow. "Clearly." He cleared his throat. "Well, I do live here, you know."

Rit studied the man, one hand on the dog's back. He was dressed in black leather, with tattoos on his hands and neck, like Sebastian. His black hair and blue eyes contrasted with paler skin for a striking picture. He had a square jaw and sharp cheekbones. He was about the same height as Magnus.

"Yes, well, there's been an unexpected visitor," Magnus said, gesturing toward Rit.

Alec's eyes widened. "What is she?"

Rit stepped forward. "She can talk, you know."

Magnus intervened. "We think she's a warlock. The Chairman led her here."

Chairman Meow wandered over to Alec, rubbing around his ankles. Alec looked down, stepping carefully over the cat, closer to Rit. "And she brought a . . . dog?"

Everyone was silent. "Not exactly," began Magnus. "See, she-"

Alec held up a hand. "And what happened to the couch?"

Magnus looked exasperated. "The dog is the couch."

Alec looked resigned. "Magnus, in the Angel's name, why did you turn the couch into a dog? You know Church hates them."

Rit raised her hand. "He didn't. I did."

Alec stared. He rubbed his eyes with the back of one hand. "If I'm not mistaken, you, an untrained, young warlock, claim to have done a very large work of magic in turning a couch into a large, fluffy dog. Is this correct?" Rit nodded. Alec looked at Magnus. "Who is she?"

* * *

"That's what we're all wondering. She says she never really knew her father, so that helps. We could try to find her mother-"

"No." Rit interrupted. "Don't find her. She doesn't want to know about this world. It would kill her to know it's not what she thought it was. She wouldn't be able to sleep at night. Don't tell her anything. The best thing is for me to call her and tell her I'm fine, that she shouldn't call the police, if she hasn't already."

Magnus nodded slowly. "Yes, I suppose that would be best." He pulled an iPhone out of his right pocket and handed it to her. She typed in her mother's cell phone number and pressed Call. Nervously, she waited. _Ring. Ring-ring. Ring. Ring- "_Hello?"

Rit swallowed. Her mother's voice made a lump in her throat. It sounded so sad, so tired. "Mom," she began, but that was all she got out before her mother spoke again.

"Rit? Honey, is that you? Oh, I can't believe it." Rit heard uncontrolled sobbing on the other end. "Rit, where are you?"

"I can't tell you that, Mom. Just don't call the police."

"Oh, honey, I've missed you! We thought you were lost or kidnapped or something like that! Oh, Rit-"

"Listen to me, Mom. Mom. Just don't call the police. I promise I'm fine. I'm not kidnapped or lost. I'm safe. That's all I can tell you. Please."

Rit didn't know why she said please. She didn't even know what she wanted her mom to do. She didn't know.

"Rit, why won't you tell me?" The sobbing recommenced.

"Mom – please just live without me. Please. Forget me." Rit hung up. She stared at the phone, not believing her own words.

* * *

"That was a bit harsh," commented Sebastian. He leaned against the wall by the door, watching her. She could feel his eyes on the reddish scar above her temple.

"Oh, shut up, will you?" She stalked over to him, shoved his chest, and continued out the door. Magnus looked at her back disappearing down the hallway in surprise. Sebastian stared after her, one hand to his chest. He hadn't expected a shove quite that hard from so quiet a girl.

The dog, which looked unusually intelligent, started out of the room after her. "There goes my favorite couch," muttered Magnus, collapsing in the nearest armchair, which happened to be orange velvet with red fringe.

Sebastian had recovered and followed the dog down the hall. He saw a faint trail of blue sparks leading into a guest bedroom. Rit was sprawled out on her back on the black bedspread, blending in in Izzy's old clothes, black shirt and jeans. One arm was thrown over her face. She was obviously trying to calm herself down, though blue sparks continued to drift up and around the room every few seconds.

"Go away." Her voice was rough with held-back tears.

Sebastian took a few steps forward, through the doorway. "No."

Rit rolled over. "What do you want?"

He didn't say anything. He just looked at her with that infuriating calm gaze, like nothing ever bothered him. Rit looked back. Boys weren't the only ones that could stare. She fixed her gaze right on his eyes, daring him to look away. He didn't challenge her, just kept looking.

Finally, Rit sighed exasperatedly and sat up. "What do you want, so you can go away?"

Sebastian leaned one arm against the wall nearest the door. "How old are you?" he asked.

Rit considered lying, and then realized it didn't really make a difference. "Fifteen."

Sebastian nodded. She looked a bit older, but he believed her. "What's it to you?" she asked.

"Nothing. I was just curious," he replied. She seemed to lose her temper easily. "Would you like to take a walk with me? We can have dinner away from Magnus and Alec."

"Are they boyfriends?" Rit asked. Sebastian nodded. "I thought so." She shrugged it off. "Whatever. Sure. Where are we going?"

Rit had stopped giving off sparks. Sebastian took that as a good sign. "There's a little place called Taki's. I'll let Magnus know we're going."

**A/N Thanks for reading, everyone! I'm so excited for Sebastian and Rit... maybe something will happen at Taki's... please review!**


	7. Chapter VII

**A/N Hey guys! Lucky you, two chapters in one day! Well, I guess I owe it to you all. This chapter has some Sebastian/Rit in it. It just kind of happened. Oh, well. Maybe this story needs a little romance.**

Rit borrowed a jacket from one of Magnus' many empty closets. It was black, like the rest of her ensemble. She found worn-down Converse as well. Her mother would have disapproved. The ache in her chest expanded at the thought of her mother.

Sebastian waited at the end of the hallway. He knocked at the door of the room that they had been in before. "Magnus?"

After a brief pause, Magnus opened the door. His face was slightly flushed. "Yes?"

"We're going to walk to Taki's. We'll be back around ten. Do you want us to get anything?"

"No, you go ahead. We're fine." Magnus retreated into the room, closing the door again. Sebastian and Rit headed down the stairs and out the door into the brisk night.

As they walked along the brightly lit streets, watching taxis go flying by in search of a fare, Sebastian explained what Shadowhunters were in moderate detail, including the Mortal Instruments and Idris in his explanation. He left out what had happened at the end of the war started by Valentine.

"Wait, who was the leader after Valentine died, before the end of the war?" she asked, noting that he had left that part out. "Who's Jace? Who's Clary, and Isabelle, and – wait, Alec must be . . ."

"Alec is the one you met, yes. You might meet Jace and Clary. Isabelle is the one whose clothes you're wearing. She always keeps spares at Magnus' house."

"And who was the leader after Valentine?" Rit was not deterred by his attempt to make her forget her first question.

Sebastian was silent for a while. Then he sighed, resigned to the truth. "I was."

Rit stopped walking. "_You_?" she asked incredulously. "_You, _Sebastian Morgenstern, led the demon army after Valentine died? Why?"

Sebastian kept walking. Rit hurried to catch up with him. "Why?" she repeated impatiently.

"Because I'm Valentine's son."

"No way." Rit couldn't believe it. This boy, this kind boy, the son of a monster like Valentine?

"Yes way. And do you know what else?" Sebastian's voice had turned hard and cold, like a river in the dead of winter, frosted over with ice. "I have demon blood in me. Valentine made me more than a Shadowhunter. I was corrupted because of my own blood. Most of the Shadowhunters hate me. I'm not allowed into Idris, ever. And you know what? Valentine had another child."

"Who's that?" Rit asked softly. She could see that he was upset.

"Clary. We're full siblings. Except he didn't screw her up like he did me. He didn't curse her. In fact, he did the exact opposite – she has angel blood. The gift to draw new runes, to make old ones more powerful – that's what Valentine gave her. What he gave me is a curse."

Rit put a hand on Sebastian's shoulder. It was tense, but he didn't shrug it off. "I'm sorry, Sebastian. Really, I am."

"Whatever." They kept walking. Finally, Sebastian turned left, into an old, run-down place. "We're here."

Rit opened the old door with its broken OPEN sign. It swung shut with a gentle tinkle of bells behind them.

Inside, Taki's looked very different. There were all sorts of people. Rit guessed that some were werewolves, some were vampires, some were Shadowhunters (the more human looking ones) and some were faeries. Rit could see through the glamours that even Shadowhunters had to learn to see past because she had magic in her blood.

Sebastian led her to a booth in the side. A waitress with the nametag KAELIE came over with menus. She looked mostly normal, except for her eyes – they were all blue, with no whites or pupils.

The menu was the strangest that Rit had ever seen. There were clearly sections for each species – some included raw meat, some included blood (not human, thankfully) on tap, and some included drinks that Rit didn't recognize.

Sebastian pointed out a small section on the back. "That's the warlock section, or you can try the Shadowhunter section if none of that appeals to you."

In the warlock section, there were various drinks, which Rit wasn't sure about. She didn't want to go back to Magnus' apartment as a mouse or a rat. She turned to the Shadowhunter section, which looked like normal human food, including pancakes, pasta, and salads.

When Kaelie returned, Sebastian ordered a Greek salad and a Coke. Rit ordered vegan quinoa with pesto and a glass of water.

"Are you vegan?" Sebastian inquired. He seemed to have gotten over his bad mood, more or less.

"Most of the time, yes. I try not to eat animal products."

"Is there any particular reason?"

"Not really, I just don't like the idea of eating something that came from an animal. That, and sometimes dairy gives me stomachaches. "

Sebastian nodded. He dug into his salad, which had just arrived.

The quinoa was delicious, with tomatoes, fresh black kale pesto, and assorted grilled vegetables, like zucchini and peppers.

When she was done, she realized Sebastian had asked her a question. "Sorry, what?" She blushed.

"I said, what do you want to do now?"

Rit shrugged. "I don't know Manhattan very well. Why don't you show me around some?"

Sebastian seemed to approve. "Good choice." He paid for the meal and followed Rit out of the old restaurant.

Sebastian showed her some of the main attractions, like the theaters and big shopping malls. They ended up in a park that faced the water.

Rit sat down on a wooden bench. Sebastian joined her. She felt a slight tingle in the hand that was closest to him. Her heart beat a tiny bit faster.

Rit felt the blood rushing to her face. She turned away, looking out over the water. The sun was about to set, creating a golden glow and gilding the thin, wispy clouds.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Sebastian inquired. Rit only nodded. She felt that if she spoke the delicate clouds would be broken apart and blown away.

Sebastian looked peaceful, on this bench in a park, more peaceful than he had anywhere else. Rit supposed it was because other places people shunned him – the Shadowhunters, that is. But he was different now.

Rit didn't realize she was staring until he turned his deep gaze on her. The red sunlight blazed off his fair eyelashes. She blushed, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear. She could feel his eyes watching her every move.

"You're beautiful, you know that?" The words surprised her. Nobody had ever called her beautiful before. Sebastian saw her shiver and unwound the checked scarf from around his neck, draping it around hers. It was warm and smelled of him, almost spicy.

Sebastian took her hand. "I mean it."

Her hand felt like it was on fire, without the pain. "Thanks." She'd never been good at taking a compliment.

Sebastian raised her hand to his face and lightly brushed it with his lips, sending an electric shock to her brain. He continued to hold her hand in his warm ones, looking out over the water. He still seemed calm. Maybe he did this every day. Maybe he already had a girlfriend. Maybe he was just lying to make her feel better. Maybe –

Sebastian put an end to her maybes by leaning closer and putting a hand on her cheek. Her heart was pounding like a jackhammer even before his lips touched hers.

From his apartment, Magnus looked out the window and saw a brief explosion of blue sparks coming from a park by the water. _Oh, no,_ he thought. He'd have to teach Rit to control herself first thing.

**A/N So, what did you think? Any opinions on THE KISS? Just write a review! Thanks so much for reading!**


	8. Chapter VIII

**A/N LUCKY DUCKS! Three chapters in one day is probably the most you're going to see. Tomorrow I have cross-country. Wish me luck!**

Sebastian buzzed the intercom of Magnus' apartment building. Magnus answered immediately. "Sebastian? Rit? Come on up."

They climbed the stairs to Magnus' apartment, where he was waiting right next to the door. "Did you have fun?" His cat eyes seemed to see what had happened throughout the entire evening. Rit blushed and realized she was still wearing Sebastian's scarf and holding his warm hand. She let go to unwind the scarf, and handed it back, stepping into the apartment. Sebastian remained outside.

"Thanks for showing me around," she said. He smiled, a shy, sweet smile, and turned to go back to his home, wherever that was. Maybe he stayed at the Institute.

Magnus closed the door and leaned against it, arms crossed. "Can you explain yourself?"

Rit ran a hand over her hair. "It wasn't my fault, really, Magnus. I just can't control it-"

"Yes, yes, we all know you can't control your magic. In fact, everyone in Manhattan knows that you can't control it. That was quite a show."

"So teach me how to control it," Rit replied, "If it's so much trouble when I can't."

Magnus nodded. "I'm glad you agree with me," he said. "We'll start now."

He led her over to the chairs and handed her a carved wooden bird, an eagle, small enough to fit in her palm. "Do something to it," he said. "Just don't destroy it."

Rit frowned. What was she supposed to do with it? Pretend it was real, fly it around like five year olds did with plastic airplanes? "What do you mean?"

"Do something to it," was all Magnus would say.

Rit studied it. It seemed to be a master's work – the wings and body had individually carved feathers, and the feet and head had incredible detail. The eye even seemed to have depth, though it was just plain wood. She saw nothing that she could do with it. "I don't understand."

Magnus gazed at her. "What don't you understand? My directions were perfectly clear."

"But what am I supposed to do with it?"

Magnus shrugged. "Do anything."

Rit felt anger building up inside her. Her head pounded in a much less pleasant way than earlier. She started giving off sparks, snapping and crackling like there was a fire inside her.

The little carved eagle _changed_.

The blue sparks swarmed around it and inside it, making it glow brighter than the lamps and ceiling lights in the apartment. Magnus averted his eyes, momentarily blinded. Then the light went abruptly out. Smoke rose from the bird, then stopped. All was silent.

Alec burst into the room, stele held out. He looked around. "What the hell just happened?"

Rit now held a carved, iridescent diamond bird. It had shrunk a bit, and was now about the size of a half-dollar coin. She turned it over and over in her hand absentmindedly as Magnus talked.

He wasn't really talking to her, but rather to himself. "Shouldn't . . . wood to diamond . . . Greater Demon . . . yes, tomorrow." He seemed to remember that Rit was in the room. "Ah, yes. We're going to go see the Institute tomorrow, to talk to the Lightwoods and to the – ah – Waylands."

Alec, from his place in an armchair, groaned. "Not the newlyweds," he protested.

Magnus nodded. "Yes, the newlyweds."

The Institute looked like a run-down, abandoned church to mundanes, but to those of the Shadow world, it was a majestic, ancient church that was still in use. Magnus lifted the knocker and dropped it, making a loud boom.

After about a minute, the sound of hurrying footsteps could be heard approaching the door. An eye looked through the peephole.

The door swung open. There stood a tall, graceful girl, about Rit's height, with long, black flowing hair and black eyes. She had Marks all up her arms, which were bared by a loose blue tank top. Blue faded skinny jeans hugged her long legs, ending in feet with four-inch black heels. Rit didn't understand how she could possible walk in those.

Alec stepped past Magnus and Rit to hug the girl. "Hey, Izzy."

So this was Isabelle. Izzy hugged Alec back. "Hey. You want some soup?"

Alec seemed flustered. "I – uh – "

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "Mom made it, not me. Tomato, and grilled cheese, too."

"Great. I'll have some, anyway." Magnus strode into the Institute, tossing his jacket onto a hook as he went.

Alec followed. Only after he was gone did Izzy notice Rit. "Who are you?"

Rit stuck out her hand. "Rit. You're Isabelle?"

Izzy shook the outstretched hand. "Yeah. Nice to meet you. Come on in."

The Institute had a high, arched roof, like one would expect of a church. Rit followed the girl to an elevator, with old-fashioned gates, nestled in one of the walls. It creaked all the way up, making Rit just a little bit nervous. When it stopped, she found herself in a hallway lined with various doors. She supposed they were bedrooms.

At the end of the hallway, there was a kitchen. The smell of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup emanated from the cooktop, where a woman resembling Alec and Isabelle, but with more gray hair, stirred and stacked and generally looked like she knew what she was doing.

"Maryse, this is Rit. Rit, my mother, Maryse." Isabelle started the introductions. "Jace, Clary, this is Rit."

The two people sitting at the table, munching away, turned toward the doorway. One was a man, maybe nineteen or twenty, with golden hair and golden eyes. He made Rit think of a cat in the way that he moved. He raised a hand in welcome, then resumed chewing.

The other was a short girl of about the same age, with long, red, curly hair and bright green eyes. Freckles dusted her high cheekbones. "Nice to meet you," she said. She seemed to have a slight glow about her at all times. So this was Sebastian's sister. They didn't look anything alike.

Both Jace and Clary had rings on their fingers – Clary had the Wayland ring, and Jace the Morgenstern one. That was a Shadowhunter custom, Sebastian had said, instead of the traditional wedding rings mundanes had.

"So, what are you?" Isabelle asked. She didn't seem accusing, just curious.

Magnus piped up from the corner, where he was scarfing down soup. "She's a warlock," he said. "And a very powerful one, too."

Maryse turned around. "What do you mean by that?" she asked warily.

Magnus gestured toward Rit. "Show them what you did last night."

Slowly, hesitating, Rit pulled out the diamond bird. It glittered in the lamplight.

"I think her father was a Greater Demon."

**A/N Ooooh, scary! Okay, my parents are nagging me. I need to go to bed.**


	9. Chapter IX

**A/N SORRY, SORRY, SORRY! I said in Chapter 8 that Clary was wearing the Wayland ring - it's actually the Herondale ring. Anyway, carry on. I hope you enjoy Clace mush and some Malec, too...**

"And what does that mean?" Rit demanded. Everyone was staring at her.

Nobody spoke. Blue sparks started to appear. Magnus jumped up and motioned to Maryse. "Maybe you should explain, before she hurts someone, Maryse."

"It means," said Jace, twisting in his chair so he could talk to them, "That the demon that was your father was not an ordinary demon, but one of the Greater Demons. That would explain a lot about your unusual amount of power."

"You did mention something about anger, Magnus. It could be Amaymon." When Clary spoke the demon's name, the room seemed to grow darker.

"Let's not say the names. Names are powerful things," interjected Magnus. "But I agree with you. That was one of the options that I was considering." He paused. "Another was Lucifer."

Maryse gasped. "Surely not the Prince of Hell himself!"

Magnus nodded. "It's the only explanation."

"But what does that mean?" Nobody had explained anything worthwhile to rit. She still was behind the group in the understanding of what she was, which seemed kind of lopsided, to her. She ought to have the right to know what she was. The sparks popped and crackled around her. They lit up the room like it was the fourth of July.

"God damn it," muttered Jace. He jumped up, strode toward Rit, and grabbed her arms. His grip was like a vice, bruising and unrelenting.

"You need to get a hold of yourself," he said quietly. His golden eyes flashed dangerously. A bright light seemed to burn inside him, and it hurt Rit's eyes. She closed them. He was right.

Rit took ten deep breaths. When she could no longer feel the sparks flying, she opened her eyes. Magnus looked approvingly at her. Maryse, Clary, Izzy, and Alec seemed a bit scared, wide-eyed and staring. Jace had continued eating.

He got up, moving gracefully toward the sink. He set his bowl and plate down and ran water over them. Nobody had spoken.

Finally, he turned to them. "What?" he asked.

Magnus shook his head. "Nothing. Thanks."

"Yes, thank you." Rit felt obliged to this strange man that he had kept her from hurting anyone. Even so, she had the feeling that he hadn't done it for her, nor for himself. He'd done it for the red-haired girl, the angel girl. He was an angel, too. They were right for each other. The same light that shone in him shone in her eyes, her hands, everything that she did. The beauty of it brought tears to Rit's eyes.

"Hey, hey, hey. It's okay." Izzy came over, patting her on the shoulder. "What's wrong?"

Rit started sobbing. It wasn't fair to Sebastian that his father had cursed him and he could never have what Jace and Clary had. It wasn't his choice. It just wasn't fair.

Jace and Clary sat at the table after everyone else had left the kitchen, either to look after the warlock girl or to run their own errands. Jace reached over and took Clary's hand, stroking it with his thumb. Clary smiled. Her mother, Jocelyn, hadn't wanted them to get married so young, but Shadowhunters do everything young, because you never know when a demon is going to sneak up on you. In the end, though, Jocelyn had given in. Now that she was married with Luke, she wasn't so lonely without Clary.

"Remember when Simon got turned into a rat?" Jace asked, a grin on his face. Simon, Clary's best friend, had mistakenly partaken of a warlock drink at Chairman Meow's first birthday party. He'd been transformed into a rat, which ended in Jace and Clary going into the Hotel Dumort, the local vampire lair, to rescue him. They'd barely escaped.

"Remember Ithuriel?" Clary said. Before Valentine was killed, they'd been on a mission to the Wayland country house in Idris, where Jace had grown up with Valentine, thinking that Valentine was Michael Wayland. In the basement, they'd found an angel, bound and trapped. They'd set it free. But each of them had a mark from contact with an angel, now – a small, star-shaped scar. Jace had his from the Herondale line, from Tessa and Will Herondale.

Jace nodded. They both remembered watching the angel die when they released it.

Clary remembered when Jace had been separated from Sebastian, when Sebastian was evil. She'd stabbed him with the Archangel's sword. Jace had caught on fire. Now he was better, but the fire of Heaven still burned inside him. Sometimes it showed itself, but mostly it just stayed hidden, right under his skin. He was sometimes more like an angel than a human. Those times scared Clary. She always thought that when he was like that, he could look right through her and see everything bad. She never lied to him, but she had some faults that she didn't like to admit.

"Are you two lovebirds going to get a room?" Alec had come back to retrieve his weapons from the mantle.

"We have one. But that doesn't really help, because the walls are so thin. So, no. Not a real room. Unless you'd like to give us one," Jace said, joking. His parabatai seemed so unhappy whenever he saw Jace and Clary. "Or do you and Magnus need it?"

Alec gave Jace a look. "Stop. Seriously. Mom's never going to let us get married, and you know it."

Jace threw up his hands. "You're a legal adult, Alec. You're twenty. You don't have to have Mom's permission to get married, or to do anything, for that matter."

"You know what I mean. I don't want to break up the family."

"Well, you wouldn't be. She would be. We would all stay with you. You know that, Alec. I'm always on your side."

Alec left the room, but at least he'd listened.

"I don't want him to be unhappy," said Clary. "He should marry Magnus. Magnus has been lonely his entire 800 years of life. He deserves to be happy."

Jace nodded. "I'll talk to Magnus."

"You want me to WHAT?"

Clary held a finger to her lips. "Shhh. Don't let all of Manhattan know."

Magnus sputtered. "I can't do that!"

Clary raised an eyebrow, a skill she'd recently acquired. "And why is that?"

"I don't know if he would say yes!"

Jace sighed. "You, the 800 year old, magnificent, High Warlock of Brooklyn, are scared of rejection by the boy who's loved you since he first saw you?"

Magnus laughed. "Yes, it does seem kind of ridiculous. I don't want to put Maryse through that, though."

"Maryse can choose if she goes through that or if she just accepts it."

The warlock ran a hand through his gelled, spiky hair. "Fine. I'll get a ring tomorrow."

"And take Rit with you, would you? I have a feeling she could help."

**OOOOOH**


	10. Chapter X

**A/N Thanks, madmad01, for the 8 (or was in nine?) reviews. (By the way, she's my friend from school. We're both crazy.) I promise there will be more Sebastian/Rit mush, and a real kiss. I promise. By the way, I'm sorry this chapter is kind of short.**

Magnus looked nervous. Rit had never seen him look anything but confident and detached from cares, but now he seemed . . . worried.

"You really love him, don't you?" she asked.

Magnus didn't reply. They kept walking down the sidewalk.

She elbowed him. "Hey, Magnus."

Distracted, he turned to her. "What?"

"I said, you really love him, don't you?"

Magnus rolled his eyes. "No, I'm just marrying him because I feel sorry for him." His voice dripped sarcasm. "Of course I love him."

They turned into a store that looked like it had rings in it. Rit walked up to the counter, where a helpful looking salesperson was standing. "Do you have any engagement rings?"

The woman nodded cheerfully. "And who is the ring for? Is there a special guy?"

Rit nodded. "Not mine. His." They looked at Magnus. He was looking around the store, trying to look like he wasn't nervous, which wasn't working.

"I see…" the lady looked slightly uncomfortable. Rit was disgusted. Some people just had to be homophobic, did they?

"Is there a problem?" Rit demanded. She knew she was being nasty, but the woman had no reason to look like that.

"No, no, no problem." The saleslady looked a bit scared, now, wide-eyed. Good.

"First, over here, we have the traditional . . ."

Magnus and Rit walked out of the store with a small paper bag. Magnus seemed relieved that he hadn't had to go to more than one store.

"Well, now that's settled, isn't it?" he said.

Rit shook her head, smiling. "You still have to propose, you know."

"Shit." Magnus looked devastated. "What the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Figure it out." Rit opened the door with Magnus' key.

There was a knock on the apartment door a few minutes after they'd sat down at the table and Magnus had tried to teach Rit how to summon coffee. She'd only managed to summon the coffee, not the cup, so the table was slightly damp.

Magnus looked up, startled. He grabbed the paper bag and ran to Rit's room, where he supposedly hid it. Then he hurried over and opened the door.

Alec came in, slinging a backpack down on the floor. "Have any coffee?"

Magnus smiled at Rit, transformed. "Rit can get some, can't you?"

She glared at him, then focused. She held out a hand, concentrating hard on the essence of coffee – and a cup. After a few seconds, she was suddenly holding a plastic, waxy cup of coffee, with steam rising off of it. Victorious, she handed the coffee to Alec, who looked at it suspiciously.

"What, just because it's the first time she's done it doesn't mean she did it wrong," defended Magnus. "It's still coffee."

Dubious, Alec took a sip. It tasted all right, so he sat down with them, warming his chilled hands on the cup. "So, what did you do this morning, Magnus?"

"We took a walk in the park," said Rit quickly, covering for him.

Alec's eyes narrowed. "That's funny," he said, "because I was in the park. You weren't there. What did you really do?"

Magnus hesitated. "I can't tell you that."

Alec stood up. "Well. I'm out." There was tension in the air.

As soon as he had left, Magnus put his head in his hands. "Shit."

"You have to go fix that. Here," Rit closed her eyes and concentrated. One red rose appeared in her palm. She ran and got the bag, which was artfully hidden on her bedspread.

"Here." Magnus took the box out of the bag, grabbed the rose, and ran out of the apartment, not bothering to grab a coat or shoes.

Rit ran to one of the windows overlooking the street. She saw Alec's back disappearing down the sidewalks, and she saw Magnus chasing him. She saw Alec turn, presumably because Magnus had called his name. He still looked pissed.

She saw him stop walking, she saw Magnus catch up, and she saw him kneel. Alec looked shocked. She saw Magnus hand Alec the rose, then pull out the box. She saw Alec's overjoyed smile, the only real smile she'd ever seen from him. She watched as Magnus slipped the ring onto Alec's finger, and she saw them embrace, right in the middle of a Manhattan sidewalk. A crowd had gathered around them, and when they kissed, she could see people clapping.

Too bad she'd never have that, she thought. Who would marry her?

**So, did you all like the proposal? I'll have more on it in chapter 11.**


	11. Chapter XI

**A/N So I know the next book is coming out pretty soon (I like to think of it that way), and then most of the things that happen in this story are going to be incorrect, but for now let's just pretend. ALSO, I have an announcement. The first three people to review this chapter with a description of themselves and where they'd like to be in the story will be included in the next few chapters. So, review it up! I might do more than three, if I get enough. Happy reading!**

Rit wandered back down the hall to her room, a faint smile on her face. She loved when people were happy. She especially liked engagements and weddings.

In her room, she saw the dog, which she'd almost forgotten about. It came to her, wagging its tail like she was the only person in the world. At least one person cared about her.

She decided to name it Divano, a private joke of her own. Divano meant couch in Italian. Divano had been sleeping on the bare wood floor of the apartment. That just wouldn't do. Closing her eyes, she imagined a nice, fluffy dog bed, big enough even for Divano. After a while, she felt a soft cover under her feet. There was a beautiful, big dog bed. Divano happily curled up and laid her head on her paws (Rit had also decided that the dog was female).

There were laughing voices outside. Rit went out into the salon to greet Magnus and Alec, who were wandering in, holding hands. She thought she'd better give them some privacy.

"I'm going over to the Institute," she said. "I want to talk to Jace."

They didn't acknowledge her. Smiling and shaking her head, she slipped on some converse and grabbed the black jacket she'd worn with Sebastian. It still smelled faintly of his scarf.

The Institute looked large in the cold air, its bell tower rising above the abandoned lot. Rit knocked loudly on the tall door.

It was a few minutes until anyone opened the door. It was Clary.

"Hi! Come on in, Rit, is it?" Rit stepped inside, shrugging off her coat. "We've got some coffee upstairs, if you want some."

They took the rattling old elevator. At the top, the place seemed unusually empty. "Where is everyone?" Rit asked.

"Oh, Maryse had to go to Idris on an errand. Izzy's off somewhere with Simon, I think. That's her boyfriend," she explained to Rit. "He was my best friend. Now he's a vampire. But he can go out in Daylight."

"Why is that?"

"It's a long story. Basically, Jace saved him."

"What about me?" Jace's voice floated down the hallway.

"Nothing, honey. I was just explaining about Simon to Rit, here."

Jace was seated at the same table where he'd been when they'd had tomato soup. He had a cup of coffee in his hands, black.

"I was hoping to talk to you," Rit said.

"You just did." He smiled. "What is it?"

"Magnus proposed a few minutes ago. From Alec's reaction, I would say they're getting married."

"Did you hear that, Clary?" Jace called. "You owe me."

"I know. I didn't think Alec would be going back there until later." Clary reentered the room.

"Wait, so you two had a bet on when Magnus would propose? And you both bet today?"

They laughed. "You haven't known Magnus as long as us. He's never one to wait longer than he has to," Clary explained. Her red hair was pulled into a messy bun with chopsticks. A few loose curls hung next to her face, and she tucked them behind her ears.

"Also, I was wondering if either of you knew where Sebastian stays," Rit said.

Jace's face hardened. He seemed to have a bit of a grudge against Clary's brother. It was reasonable, though, as they'd been mortal enemies during the war.

"Yes. Here's his address." Clary scribbled a house number and street on a napkin. "Why, were you going to visit him?"

"I might. Thanks so much."

"You're welcome. Stop by anytime," Clary said.

The address that Clary had given to Rit corresponded to a small house on an old road, lined with identical small houses. Like, _really_ small houses. But still, Sebastian had a house of his own.

Rit knocked on the door. She saw runes carved into the four corners, but she didn't know what they were. She'd have to ask Sebastian, or maybe Magnus.

Sebastian opened the door. He was wearing a black long-sleeved t-shirt (that showed the muscles in his chest and arms, Rit noticed) and blue skinny jeans. His face lightened when he saw her.

"Hey." His voice made her blush, thinking of that night in the park. "Come on in."

The interior of the house was neat and scrupulously clean. The floors were plain wood, and the walls were white, with a few abstract paintings hung around the house.

To the right, there was a small kitchen, with a sink, a fridge, an oven, a stove, and a microwave. To the left, there was a small sitting room with a TV, a coffee table, and a short black couch, as well as windows facing the street. There were blinds drawn over the windows. Just ahead, there was a small laundry room, which looked like there was a load being washed in it. Sebastian obviously didn't rely on anyone else to do the cooking and cleaning. At the end of the hall, there was a bedroom on the left and a bathroom on the right. The bedroom seemed just like the rest of the house, neat and plain. Through the open door, Rit could see books stacked on a dresser as well as a single bed with a simple black bedstead and a white coverlet.

She followed Sebastian into the sitting room, where they were seated on the miniscule black leather couch.

Rit said the first thing that came to mind. "Why don't you live in the Institute, like the other Shadowhunters?"

He sighed. "They won't have me there. You've seen their faces when anyone mentions me. You've seen how Alec was uncomfortable around me." Rit remembered how Jace had reacted when she'd asked for Sebastian's address. "In fact, after the war, they were all for killing me, or at the very least cursing me. The only reason they didn't was Clary."

_You've been cursed enough_, Rit thought at him. _Just look at you. You're miserable._ "You and Clary look very different."

He laughed, a bitter laugh. "She takes after our mother, Jocelyn. I take after Valentine. Which is another reason that the Clave doesn't trust me."

They sat in silence. Rit was well aware of Sebastian's arm draped across the back of the couch, just inches from her neck. She could hear the seconds on the clock ticking by, keeping time to her heart.

"Why are you here?" Sebastian's accused voice cut through the quiet like a knife through cloth. The tendons in his arm and neck stood out like rope. "Did Maryse send you to check up on me?"

"What? No!" Rit was startled and dismayed by the bitterness in his voice. "No, I just wanted to come see you."

Sebastian paused. He seemed to relax a little bit. "You _wanted_ to come see _me_?" There was a disbelieving note in his voice.

"Yes, silly. Why are you so surprised?"

He took a deep breath. "Nobody's ever cared about me before, I guess. I like it," Sebastian said, and then his hand was on her neck, and he was pulling her closer. Her arms wound around him, her hands tangling in his light blond, silky hair, as his lips touched hers. A pleasant shock went through Rit's body.

"I love you," she murmured. His only response was to wrap his arms tighter around her, like he was drowning and she was the only one who could possibly save him.

**A/N So, who liked the kiss? Who wants to be in the story? There are always more Shadowhunter boys to be kissed...**


	12. Chapter XII

**A/N I haven't gotten any reviews for chapter eleven, yet. Better hurry! If I haven't gotten any by tomorrow lunchtime, I might take it back. There's a bit of tension in this chapter...**

"Tell me a story."

Magnus looked up at Alec across the table at a coffee shop three blocks away from the apartment.

"A story about what?" Magnus sipped his mint chip frappuccino.

"About you. Someone you met. Something you did."

The warlock considered. There were so many, many stories. He picked one that Alec might know something about. "Have you read The Lord of the Rings?" The boy nodded. The simple silver ring on his finger glittered. "Well, in 1952, I happened to be in Baltimore, Maryland. I went to a convenience store, to do something – I don't remember what, anymore. When I went outside, I was hot, so I summoned a cup of ice water, like I can get coffee, now.

"A man walking by stopped and stared. He must have been able to see through glamours. He sat down at a picnic table across from me. He seemed harmless enough, so I stayed. He introduced himself as John.

"I put up a glamour so that we wouldn't be eavesdropped on. He asked me who I was. I couldn't tell him my real name, of course, so I made one up – Gandalf. We talked for quite some time, and he got a sense that I wasn't really human. In the late afternoon, he thanked me for my time, got up, and left.

"For many years, I forgot about him. He didn't seem remarkable in any way. Then, in 1954, a book came out, called The Fellowship of the Ring. I read it, as I had more time back then. Imagine my surprise when I opened it up – and there was Gandalf."

Alec laughed. The sound was sweet in Magnus' ears. "So you're Gandalf. Who would have guessed?"

"Well, I wouldn't put it quite that way. More like Gandalf was modeled after me, because J. R. R. Tolkien and I had a little chat. I was here first, you know."

* * *

Rit lay with her head against Sebastian's chest, breathing in the spicy scent that clung to him. His had was absently stroking her hair. Their legs were entwined as they filled up the couch in the living room, jeans against jeans.

"Rit?" Sebastian opened his eyes.

"Hmmm," she mumbled against his shirt, not really listening.

"Rit, you know you don't really have to live with Magnus forever, especially once Alec lives there. When you're done learning from him, you can . . . you can come live here with me." Rit could hear a blush in his voice.

"I can? Really?" Sebastian was relieved that she hadn't laughed at him. "Thanks." Rit tilted her head up and kissed him, a long, slow kiss, Her warm brown eyes softened. He reached out and touched the tip of one of her pointed ears. She smiled and nestled closer as the sun went down.

"You know, Rit, the first time you said you loved me, I didn't believe you. I thought you were just trying to make me feel better. But, you know, I love you, too."

* * *

"So, when's the wedding?" Clary asked.

Magnus' voice came scratchily through her cell phone, held between her shoulder and her ear. "Maybe in March. We haven't finalized yet."

Clary nodded. Three months seemed about right. She snapped the shirt she was folding in the air, sending dust flying.

"Clary? You there?"

Belatedly, Clary realized that Magnus couldn't see her nod. "That sounds reasonable."

"Yeah. Does… does Maryse know yet?"

"You'd know if she knew, Magnus. Anyway, she's finishing up today and Portaling back around two."

"Only three hours? Shit."

"Yeah, well at least you have that long. Hey, how's it going with Rit?"

"She's doing much better. I'm going to teach her how to summon a demon next week."

"Wow. She learns fast, then?"

"Yeah. Listen, Clary, I have to run. We'll talk later."

"Bye, Magnus." Clary hung up and resumed folding the laundry.

* * *

Izzy walked into the kitchen, hand in hand with Simon. "Hey, Clary."

"Hey."

"Simon was just about to make some soup."

"Cool. Jace will be back from Jordan's in a few."

Simon grabbed a few pots and pans, setting them up on the stove and pulling various items out of the fridge.

Izzy leaned against the counter next to him. "Simon?"

"Yeah?" He paused his preparations to turn and look at her.

"Can you teach me how to cook?"

"That is an excellent idea, Isabelle. Please commence the lessons immediately," came Jace's voice from the doorway. Clary's heart lightened just by him being in the room.

Izzy stuck out her tongue at him, turning toward the stove. Before the war, she'd attempted to cook several times, and there were a few possibly fatal recipes, like peanut butter-fish-olive-tomato soup.

"Jace, be nice," scolded Clary, pairing two socks and setting them on a pile. "Not all of us are like you."

"None of you are, in fact, like me-"

"Has anyone seen Magnus?" Rit, the warlock girl, burst into the kitchen, breathing hard.

"I think he's at his apartment, with Alec. Why do you ask?" Clary inquired.

Rit just shook her head, wide-eyed, then turned and sprinted down the hallway and out of sight, leaving the Shadowhunters staring after her.

"I'd better call Magnus," Clary said, punching his number into her phone. He picked up on the third ring.

"What is it now, Clary?" He sounded as if she'd interrupted something important he'd being doing.

"Are you decent, Magnus? Because if you aren't, you might want to be. Soon."

**A/N What do you all think happened to Rit? Please read and review! Thanks!**


	13. Chapter XIII

**A/N SO I have three reviews and three people that will be in the next few chapters. There is still a chance, though. If you review within the next three hours, you will be mentioned somewhere in the story. Anyway, sorry that the story's going super fast, but I hope this chapter is fine, even though there's no kissing...**

Rit ran all the way from the Institute to Magnus' apartment in a panic. _Okay. Breathe. In. Out. In. Out._

When she arrived, she saw Magnus just coming out of the outside door. He looked concerned. "Rit, is everything okay?"

She stopped to catch her breath. "I was . . . with . . . Sebastian . . . and then he . . . we were . . . he disappeared, Magnus."

"He disappeared? Was there a flash, were there sparks, anything?"

The girl shook her head. Her hair flew in wisps around her face. "There was . . . nothing. He just . . . was gone. Can . . . can you help find him?"

Magnus couldn't say no. She looked so hopeful, and yet at the same time like she was about to cry. He sighed. "I can try. But we have to contact the Clave. He is a Shadowhunter, after all."

"But the Clave hates him! They'll never help."

"We don't need their help. I can use your strength to make a tracking spell. Here. Come in."

Rit raced up the stairs ahead of Magnus and let herself into the apartment using a simple spell. When he caught up, he started taking candles and matches out of a cabinet. "Alec," he called.

"Yeah? What's going on?" Alec came out of Magnus' bedroom, looking slightly bedraggled.

"Sebastian's gone missing. I'm going to help Rit do a tracking spell to find him."

"Okay. I'll watch."

Magnus set the candles up in a pentagon, then drew some runes in the air over them with his finger. The blue sparks stayed hanging in the air, then melted into what looked like a mirror. Magnus held a hand out to Rit, who put her hand in his. He closed his eyes and reached into her, into her magic. He was startled and scared by the amount of it that there was, like a great uncrossable lake. He tentatively reached out part of his mind and pulled on the magic.

Power such as he'd never felt flowed through him, flooding across the mirror, turning it brighter until the rest of the apartment seemed to be in shadow. Then he whispered some words in one of the warlock languages.

Rit heard him whisper, felt the slight tug on her magic. She understood the words because they were built into her blood. _Show me Jonathan Morgenstern, wherever he may be_.

The mirror turned dark. There were red shadows floating around in the darkness, and there was a feeling of evil emanating from it. Then, out of the blackness, Rit saw a pale shape emerge. It was Sebastian, his pale hair like a beacon through the gloom. He was curled up, almost sleeping, on an invisible surface. He looked almost peaceful, except for the cut on his cheek. Bright red blood dripped down his face. His eyes were closed in exhaustion.

A dark shape came out of the shadows behind him. It was a dark cloud with no real shape, but it gave of a menacing feeling. It came over him, obscuring him from their view. The mirror of sparks shattered, and the candles went out.

Magnus released his grip on Rit's magic. The endless lake of it seemed unchanged. "Well."

Rit heard the nervousness in Magnus' voice. "What? Where is he? What was that thing?"

"He's in hell."

"What do you mean, _he's in hell_?"

"I mean, a demon must have taken him – that's what the shadow was, a demon. And before you ask why, there are a lot of reasons that a demon could want to have Jonathan Morgenstern."

Rit was silent. She was wasting time with her questions. "How do we save him?"

Magnus rubbed a hand over his eyes. "This is tricky. To enter hell safely and leave alive, you have to meet certain criteria." He looked at her. "You have to have just the right number of people, and the right ones. I have to go look up the numbers in my books. Why don't you call Clary and tell her what happened?"

He rushed off to the library, tossing her his phone. Alec looked lost.

"I'll go see if there's anything I can do to help," he said awkwardly, wandering down the hall.

Rit looked at the phone. Clary's cell phone number was first on the list, except, of course, Alec's. She hit the speed dial.

Clary picked up almost before the phone could ring. "Magnus?"

"Actually, it's Rit. I'm calling because of Sebastian."

"Oh, what about him?" Clary guarded her voice.

"He's gone missing. Magnus used my magic to track him. He's in hell." Just saying the words made Rit shudder. She didn't realize that tears were streaming down her face.

"So what can you do about it?"

"Magnus says that the only way to save him is to lead a quest to hell."

Clary was silent. "The Clave's never going to agree to that, you know, Rit," she said, trying to soften her words, to dull the razor-sharp pain that she was inflicting.

"I know."

"Who needs to go on this 'quest to hell'?"

"That's what Magnus is finding out. I'll call later if we know anything."

"All right." Although Clary couldn't say openly that she cared about Sebastian, not wanting to alienate the Clave, Rit heard worry in her voice. She clicked the red button, and static filled the connection.

Magnus called down the hallway. "There's nothing on it, Rit. I'm going to have to meet with some other warlocks. I want you to come with me. You too, Alec."

He threw on some shoes and a coat, tossing some to Alec. Rit grabbed her jacket and followed him out the door.

He walked very quickly, long legs striding down block after block. Then he pulled Rit into a small alley.

"I need you to make a Portal, now. This is very important. Just look at the wall and think of where you want to go. I'll draw."

Rit pulled on the magic inside her, hard, and looked at the broken brick wall. She knew where to go, somehow. There was a blue field fixed in her mind, with an empty white sky. She closed her eyes.

Magnus drew the runes needed on the wall, glowing blue squiggles that danced behind her eyelids. The bricks dissolved into a glowing door outlined in purple. "Ready?"

Rit stepped through the portal, followed my Magnus, towing Alec, who still seemed out of place. The alley dissipated behind them, and they were tossed into mayhem of swirling colors and lights.


	14. Chapter XIV

**A/N I still only have three. Three, going once, going twice . . . okay, I'll wait a little bit longer. Meet in this chapter the lovely OnAngelWings!**

Rit, Alec, and Magnus emerged from the portal in a place that almost no Shadowhunter had ever been to before. It was the Warlocks' World.

There was blue grass everywhere, with blue sparks coming off of it. A sweet-smelling breeze blew from behind them, carrying bits of paper high up, tumbling, turning, each carrying a single message to one person, on one mission, the only life they'd ever known.

Straight ahead, there seemed to be a city of some sort, made of black glass, almost. The tall, graceful towers contrasted brightly against the pure white sky, and sometimes seemed to almost disappear.

"Welcome to our city, Alec," Magnus said. He seemed stronger here, like the breeze made him glow. His face had softened, and Alec felt a sadness that he would never experience what Magnus and Rit had always known.

Magnus reached a hand out and grasped Alec's. They started toward the city.

At the gates, Magnus put one hand out and touched the large black gates in their way. The gates swung open silently.

As soon as they entered the city, a wall of sound hit them. The city was silent from the outside, yet deafening inside. There was a cacophony of human (well, warlock) noises, like talking and laughing, yet it was still different from human cities. There were no cars whatsoever. Warlocks must just walk or Portal everywhere.

There were many warlocks, some dressed in the costumes of bygone days, some dressed in modern clothes, walking down the streets, which were made of the same material as the towers. Alec supposed that the towers held apartments for families. Some looked like office buildings.

Rit stared around her in wonder. "I never knew there were so many of us," she whispered in awe. There were indeed thousands of warlocks milling around everywhere, but no children. That was the one tragedy of their race.

Magnus led them to one shorter building, and through the sliding glass doors. They took a sleek black and stainless steel elevator up to the top floor.

There, they saw a door to an apartment. Magnus knocked. He seemed just a bit nervous, which in turn made Rit question their motives.

A smooth female voice answered. "Who is it?"

"It's Magnus Bane. I have a few questions for you."

"Oh, Magnus! I'll be right there."

The door swung open. There stood a tall woman in a summer dress, light blue with grey trim. Her skin was the color of sand, clear and smooth. Brown hair was woven into a simple braid down her back. Brown eyes looked deep into Rit, then Alec, and finally Magnus.

Magnus bowed deeply. "My lady."

She frowned. "There's no need for that nonsense, Magnus. You must call me Mickey."

"Of course, Mickey. This here is my fiancé, Alec Lightwood."

She seemed taken aback. "A Shadowhunter? Whyever did you bring him here?"

Magnus ignored her question. "And this is Rit, another warlock. Be careful with her. She's young."

Rit opened her mouth to protest, but Magnus surreptitiously stepped on her foot, warning her not to say anything.

"Yes, yes, come on in, Rit, Magnus, Alec. What can I do for you?"

The inside of the apartment was neat and clean, with random bright splotches of color everywhere. Other than those, the ceiling and walls were white, and the floor was the glassy black material. Mickey led them to a sitting room, with bright red furniture in it. She sat in one modern looking armchair, leaving the guests to choose their own.

"Well, Mickey, I have a question. A situation has arisen, and we have the need of some particularly arcane knowledge that I was unable to uncover in any of the books in my library. You see, we need to know how many faeries, warlocks, vampires, werewolves, and Shadowhunters are needed to make a safe trip into Hell and back."

She was silent. "I will tell you this only because you are one of my oldest friends, Magnus. Normally I would not share this information.

"First, you need three warlocks. The next is two faeries, and one werewolf. One vampire is required. Lastly, you have need of two Shadowhunters, and of one mundane. Only with these creatures, all brave of heart and strong of will, do you have a chance of succeeding in your quest."

Magnus stood and bowed. "I thank you for your time, my lady Mickey. I look forward to meeting you again one day."

"It was a pleasure."

Mickey walked them to the door. They bid her farewell, and then Rit raced down the stairs, followed closely by Alec and Magnus. They exited the city, and then Rit summoned a Portal, and they stepped through.

* * *

"How the hell are we going to find a mundane who can see through glamours and who is willing to risk his or her life on a quest to hell to save someone he or she has never met, with people (and other beings) that he or she has never met?" Rit exploded. The terms seemed unreasonable and unrealistic.

"You'd be surprised at how many there are," said Alec grimly.

"And another Shadowhunter? I can't ask Izzy to come, or any of your family. How am I supposed to find a Shadowhunter?"

"I'm sure there's a way," Magnus consoled her.

Rit strode quickly up the stairs of the apartment building and flung open the apartment door. Then, just as hurriedly as she had entered, she left again, calling behind her, "I'm going to go find a mundane."

Magnus stared at Alec. The Shadowhunter shook his head. "It's no use," he said. "She's going to do something crazy whether or not you go after her. I just hope her plan works."

Magnus nodded, his eyes down. "Yes, for her sake, and for his."

**A/N So, OnAngelWings, how did you like yourself? Anyway, I'm sorry that this chapter is kind of short. I have to go set the table because madmad01 is coming over for dinner.**


	15. Chapter XV

**A/N So, in this chapter, we meet a mundane (OOOHHH) and he may be someone special...**

Rit strode angrily down the street, her unzipped jacket flapping in the cold December breeze. Small, stinging snowflakes stuck to her eyelashes.

"Why do we need a mundane?" she muttered to herself. "Good for nothing, blind mundanes who will do more harm than good-"

She turned left, toward the park where she and Sebastian had kissed for the first time. _Sebastian_. Every second they wasted was another second that he was stuck in hell, being tormented by some demon or another.

Looking around, Rit saw what she was searching for. She hurried over to a bench at the intersection of two paths. _Perfect_.

She sat down on the bench, then let her frustration boil over, and yet controlled it. Blue sparks flew, but instead of getting out of hand, they zigged and zagged around in patterns, spelling out words.

_If you can see this and you are not part of the Shadow World, come here. I need your help. Now._

Rit relaxed on the bench, letting her eyes drift closed, and waited.

After about a minute, just as the bitter cold was seeping through her jacket, she heard a man clear his throat. She opened her eyes and saw a young man standing over her.

"You need help?" he said.

She jumped up, straightening her jacket and combing through her hair with her fingers. Throwing her arms around him in joy, she released her grip on the magic. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes!"

"Hey, hey, hold on a minute," the boy said, grasping her shoulders and holding her at arm's length. His accent was vaguely Irish. He had bright red, short, messy hair, freckles, and light blue eyes. He towered over her by five inches or so, making him around 6'2'', tall and gangly. He looked to be about nineteen.

"What is it exactly that you need help with…?"

"Rit. I'm Rit."

"Rit. Jamie Branwell Tanner. Most people call me Tanner." They shook hands. "What do you need help with, Rit?"

Rit sighed, hesitating. She hadn't thought about how she would explain this. "First. Do you know what the Shadow World is?"

Tanner shook his head. "I have no idea. Logically, if I did know, I wouldn't be over here."

"Right, right. Just making sure. See… you see, I…"

He looked patiently at her. "Spit it out, dear."

"Ineedyoutocomeonanadventuretohellwithme," Rit blurted out.

"Slow down. Breathe. What?"

Rit took a deep breath, in and out. "I need you to come with me."

"And where are we going?"

"Hell."

"Izzy?" Magnus' voice came through the pink glittery cell phone held to her ear.

"Yeah?" She and Simon were walking to Taki's, hand in hand. She absently squeezed his hand, and he squeezed back, flashing her a smile.

"I need you to do something. It's for Rit."

"Rit? The warlock girl?"

"And for Sebastian."

Izzy was silent. Simon, who could clearly hear everything that was said, looked at her with worried dark eyes.

"It's important, Izzy. And it's dangerous, very dangerous. I won't force you do anything, you know that, but it may be crucial to the survival of the Institute. Izzy, _please_."

"Hold up. What is this thing that you want me to do?"

"We have to go to Hell."

Isabelle could hear the nervous desperation in his voice. She sighed. "Well, we all know I'm headed there anyway."

"No, really, Izzy. You see, Sebastian's gone missing. A demon took him. To Hell. Because that's where that particular demon lives. So-"

"So let me guess, we're leading a quest to Hell to rescue a boy who's more Hell than Heaven?"

"Yes. And we need Simon, too."

There was silence. Izzy looked at Simon. He looked back, and in his gaze she saw that he was willing to go with her, if she went.

"Izzy? You still there?"

"I'm here. We haven't decided yet."

"Well, call me when you do. It's important," said Magnus, a hopeful note in his voice, and then he hung up.

Izzy flipped her phone shut, sticking it into her pocket.

"I think we should go." Simon broke the tense silence.

"Go, and throw away our lives? Go, and deliver ourselves into the hands of the Devil himself?"

"Go, and save the future of humanity."

Izzy stopped walking. Simon let his hand slip out of hers. "What do you mean, Simon?"

He kept walking. Finally, he said, "When I had the Mark of Cain, I _saw _things. It's hard to explain. I didn't know what I was seeing, but now it all makes sense. I saw cities burning, I saw people running, screaming, I saw demons take over the streets. Among other things, I was seeing what would happen to Earth if we didn't save Sebastian."

"So you think we should go."

He nodded. "I do."

"Well, then. I should call Magnus."

"What, Rit? What's wrong?" Tanner looked confused. She realized why, then laughed out loud.

"No, no, we're going to Hell. That's where you have to come with me."

Tanner looked awestruck. "So it exists." He seemed to get a glint of curiosity in his eyes. "Tell me, do angels and demons exist, then?"

"Yes. There are demons, and angels, and humans, and everything in between, like warlocks like me, like werewolves and vampires, like faeries, and like Shadowhunters. If you come with me, you'll meet all of them. Plain humans, like you, are called mundanes. My boyfriend, Sebastian, he got kidnapped by a demon, and he's who we're rescuing. So will you come?"

He blinked at her. "Let me get this straight. There are Angels, and demons, there is a Heaven, and a Hell." Rit nodded. He continued, "And you want me, a total stranger, to come with you to rescue your boyfriend from Hell."

Rit nodded again. "Exactly."

He shook his head in amazement, and then chuckled. "Well, I've nowhere else to go on Earth. Just tell me what I have to do."

**A/N I realize that this may seem unrealistic, but really? You're reading a story with faeries and warlocks and angels and demons, and you think that's unrealistic? Anyway, sorry that I haven't updated in a while, but I have cross-country, and that takes up like an hour, and in the rest of my day I have French to study and such and such, so, sorry!**


	16. Chapter XVI

**A/N Sooooo, something exciting happens! Sorry it took so long, but I was in Traverse City. Again.**

Magnus sounded relieved when Rit borrowed Tanner's cell phone to call him. "Good, good. Well, then. I suppose you'll need help getting a faerie? There are some in the park, you know."

Rit considered. He sounded worn out. "No. I'll get one. Tanner can help me." Tanner looked at her. She ignored him. "Anyway, I'll see you tonight if not before, Magnus."

She pressed the End Call button, returning the phone to Tanner. He pocketed it silently.

"I suppose we're off to find a faerie?" he queried as they started to walk toward the water.

"Yes. See, faeries are the offspring of an Angel and a demon; at least that's what most people think. They live pretty much forever. They can't lie, but they can bend the truth, so be careful what you say to them, and what you agree to." Rit spotted a flitting movement in the shadows of the trees just to the right of the path. "Wait here, would you?"

She bounded off the path, pushing through tangled branches and grapevines, following the shadow, which materialized into a feminine shape. The shape slowed and stopped next to an old oak tree.

The faerie was dressed in a loose, draped green dress that had the pattern of sunlight on summer leaves. Her skin was milky white, but not as pale as most faeries. Thick, sun-streaked brown hair hung loose down her back. Her green eyes set off an angled face and high cheekbones.

"What are you searching for, warlock girl?" asked the faerie. Her voice had a quality to it that was almost human.

"I ask of you a large favor," said Rit. "What is your name?"

"My name, a favor?" the faerie giggled. "My name is Farrah."

"Farrah. I have a larger favor than your name, I fear. We have a quest, and two faeries must accompany us."

The faerie held up a slim hand. "Who is this 'we'? And what is this quest?"

Rit swallowed. "'We' is Magnus Bane, along with me. And the quest is to Hell."

Farrah laughed. "To Hell. Why in the Angel's name would you want to go to Hell?"

"My boyfriend, Sebastian Morgenstern – "

Farrah hissed, her features twisting in disgust. "We will not help that scum. Filthy demon scum who killed us. The boy and his father, yes, they killed us, many of our number. The Seelie Queen, too. Our Queen."

"Calm down, please. See, he's changed. That was just his father using him. I promise you, he's changed."

The faerie girl settled a bit. "I can see that you do not lie. Yes, he has changed." She paused. "Yes, we will come with you. I will come."

Rit blinked in surprise. _Well, she must be young, to change her mind so quickly,_ she thought. _But she agreed to go._

"Very well, Farrah. Do you need to get anything first?"

The faerie shook her head, once again the bright cheerful girl Rit had seen first. "No. I require nothing more than what I carry with me."

Tanner came crashing through the trees and stared in surprise. "Hello, there," he said to Farrah. "I'm Tanner."

Farrah looked at Rit incredulously. "A mundane with the sight? You keep strange company, warlock Rit."

Rit's eyes widened. She hadn't ever told the faerie her name. She opened her mouth to say something, but then shut it. She didn't need to make this awkward.

Farrah introduced herself to Tanner, and then all three set off to see Magnus.

* * *

Strange shapes danced behind, and in front of, Sebastian's closed eyelids. Bright sparks and shadows, glowing eyes and sharp claws, scattered themselves throughout his dreams and in the material world. He tossed and turned in confusion, his head aching.

_Wake up, little demon Shadowhunter,_ came a voice from the world that he guessed was the waking world. He knew it was not the sleeping one because it hurt more. Even the voice was terrible. It was like fingernails on a chalkboard, a rusty nail on corrugated tin, a meat grinder on a frying pan, and great clanging church bells all rolled into one, at once too quiet to really hear and too loud to bear. The noise woke him and he screamed, as it seemed to burn his eardrums. His head pounded more than ever.

_Stop that_, came the voice, and a sharp claw prodded him in the arm. Ice spread from his left elbow, freezing his blood while his skin burned in the awful heat. _I only want to talk._

By sheer willpower, Sebastian uncurled, straightening his arms and hands until he was no longer clutching his head. He tried to breathe deeply, like Valentine had taught him, to calm down, but the dusty, dry, hot air caught in his throat, choking him.

The voice waited until he had managed to stop coughing. _Are you done?_

_Am I done with _what? wondered Sebastian. His body and mind certainly told him that they were done with living. He wondered if he was dead, and he would have to stay here with the awful demon forever.

_Good. Now, Jonathan, we can get down to business._

* * *

Rit thought of Sebastian. She wondered what the demon was doing to him. She felt sure that he was still alive, that this wasn't in vain. That was all that kept her going.

Magnus had been relieved to see that she'd found a faerie. He'd greeted both Farrah and Tanner with great enthusiasm, then looked kindly at Rit. He knew how hard this was for her.

Now they were sitting at the kitchen table, sipping cups of coffee and staring off into the distance. The sun had set, and there was really nothing they could do until sunrise.

Suddenly, there was a phone call. Magnus' sparkly iPhone rang, buzzed, and seemed to glow, all at the same time. He reached over lazily and grabbed it. "Hello?"

His face drained of blood. "Oh, no. Not now. Shit." He looked at Rit. "Make a Portal. NOW."

**A/N Sorry about the cliffhanger, but it should be fixed later today or tomorrow. Anyway, thanks for reading!**


	17. Chapter XVII

**A/N So, this is kind of a weird chapter. In this chapter, you meet AmericaLovesMaxon. In chapter XVI, you met madmad01. Hopefully this wraps up part of that cliffhanger.**

The new Seelie Queen, accompanied by one hundred faerie warriors, stood outside the Institute door. Her dark skin and curly black hair hinted to her Indian heritage. She was regally tall, about six feet, with long fingers and limbs. Dark eyes hid her feelings from the world with the skill of all her seven hundred years.

The door was opened, cautiously. There stood one of her oldest acquaintances, Magnus Bane. He looked vaguely harried.

"My Lady Meghna," he said, and bowed. Her hand came out of its long, trailing red sleeve and struck him on the back of the head. He crumpled to the ground like a limp ragdoll.

There was a furious masculine cry. The queen looked into the old church and saw a young Shadowhunter, with black hair and blue eyes, running at her, brandishing a Seraph blade.

Immediately, three of her warriors stepped in front of her, shields out, swords at the ready. The Shadowhunter stopped short, panting heavily.

"Listen to me, Shadowhunter," said the Seelie Queen. "He is not dead. I would not kill one of my oldest friends."

They looked each other in the eyes, and then there came a noise from behind the queen. A sound of running feet, many running all in the same rhythm, emanated from down the street, in the direction of Chinatown.

"Wolves," muttered Meghna. She whirled on the boy. "You called them, didn't you?"

He shook his head rapidly. "No, I swear on the Angel's name, I didn't call them."

But the Seelie Queen did not listen. She lifted her chin a tiny bit, and raised her right hand, palm facing away. The one hundred warriors surged past her, through the door, around the boy like a tidal wave, leaving just Meghna and the Shadowhunter, and Magnus' crumpled form on the doorstep.

The boy seemed to be in shock; his mouth was working, but no words were coming out. Finally he seemed to get control of himself. He ran in the opposite direction, up the stairs.

The faerie queen turned around to face the wolves. They ran in their natural forms, with long, shaggy hair and white canines glinting in the moonlight. When they reached her, they made a loose semicircle about the door, blocking her from leaving.

"How rude," she said.

One wolf snarled. He seemed to be the leader, a bit older than the others, perhaps forty or fifty as a human. The queen nodded to him. "Luke," she said. He dipped his head in acknowledgement.

"How is Jocelyn? Are you happy together? Are you both in good health?"

He snarled again, curling his lips to show sharp teeth.

Meghna reached inside herself, grasping for the fey magic that ran in her veins. She let it flow outward from her, engulfing the leader's figure.

There was a snap in the air, and the scent of wild grapes filled the air. When the sparks cleared, Luke lay on the ground, naked.

Meghna laughed delightedly. She loved shaming the weak ones.

Luke's pack surrounded him, blocking him from her view. Still she laughed, throwing her head back with wild abandon.

She hadn't had this much fun in over a century.

The faeries ravaged the house. They swept through like a wildfire, destroying everything in their path. The walls, floors, and ceilings they left untouched, but every wall hanging, piece of furniture, vase, or other decoration was smashed, cracked, or burnt with faerie magic.

When they had finished, they assembled in ten rows of ten in front of the Seelie Queen, standing at attention.

Maryse, who had been trying to stay out of their way to avoid their wrath, came out cautiously. There were tears in her eyes that she tried to blink back, but despite her best effort they spilled silently down her cheeks.

"What have I done to bring such wrath down on my family and my house?" choked out Maryse.

"What have you done? It is not you. It is that warlock girl, Rit, and Magnus as well. Do you know what they did?"

Maryse looked confused. "No, I do not know what they might have done that would upset you so much."

"Well." The Seelie Queen gathered the folds of her sleeves at the elbows and crossed her arms. "That girl, she is called Rit, yes? That girl was in the park and found a faerie, one of the youngest of my order. Farrah is just a child, only thirty. She asked Farrah to accompany her on a journey to Hell, of all places. This she did, instead of coming to me. I could provide her with a more capable faerie, and moreover, Farrah is by our law not allowed to associate with others without my express permission."

Rit came out of the blackened doorway, with tear streaks through the ashes and dust on her face. "I didn't mean to, I swear, Maryse," she said, but Maryse just turned, shaking her head, and brushed past Rit roughly, going back into the ruined Institute.

Meghna looked at Rit. "Well, girl, you've made a mess for yourself, haven't you?"

Rit covered her eyes with her hand, leaned against the side of the doorway, and sobbed. She saw no way that they would ever go on the quest again.

The Seelie Queen grew impatient. "Stop that, warlock. There is a way that you can remedy this mess."

"There is?"

"Yes, you stupid girl. There are two places for faeries on this quest, yes? Therefore, Farrah must go as punishment for her own stupidity and insolence, and I will chose one of my order. I would go myself, just for the adventure, but I have other conflicts. The faerie that I choose will meet you at the bench in the park by the water, at midnight tonight."

Hope filled Rit's tearstained face. "Oh, My Lady, I thank you," she said, and bowed deeply.

"Yes, yes, stop that. Farewell," said Meghna, and then abruptly the faerie warriors and the Seelie Queen were gone, vanished practically into midair.

Alec came running out of the house, looking stunned. "Where did she go?"

Magnus was right after him. "What did I miss? Who made all this mess?"

Rit looked at them and laughed. It seemed there was a lot of explaining to do.

**A/N Who should the other faerie be? I have a few ideas, but none of them are final yet. If you have a name or characteristic suggestion for someone or something, feel free to review or to pm me.**

**Thanks for reading!**


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